A Drummer's Testament

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Chapter I-2:  The Dagbamba Way of Living in the Villages and in the Towns

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The attitude of modern children toward their tradition; how traditional values are taught in the villages; the character of villagers compared to town people



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Contents outline and links by paragraph

Wisdom:  asking and showing

Education is not knowledge of tradition

Village evening discussions:  model for Alhaji Ibrahim's talks

How village children learn customs

Village children know Dagbani better than town children

Training of Alhaji Ibrahim and Alhaji Mumuni

Differences between town children and village children

Comparing town life and village life

The character of villagers

Modern times have reduced differences

Some differences remain



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Proverbs and Sayings

If you sow a seed, it is the same seed which will grow from the ground.

If you say you are fit to be a person, it's good you know something about your tradition.

A child who sits near old people is also an old person.

“Oh!  I don't even have tafirli.  There is no tafirli in my pocket.”

If someone knows what is forbidden, he has got sense.

When a fish is wet, you can bend it, but when it is dried, you cannot try to bend it or it will break.


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Dagbani words and other search terms